Social Influence Model: Product + Information + Connectivity

Posted on October 1, 2011 at 8:04 am by angela robar with Leave a Comment

It shouldn’t be news to anyone that consumers trust the recommendations of their peers, and that consumer-created reviews are the preferred source of information about products & services (value, price, quality). This is why social media is so exciting; what once was facilitated through one-on-one in-person, phone, and e-mail interactions, can now be done via one-to-many social network interactions.

Social Influence Scenario:
According to Facebook, the average user has 130 friends. Recommendations are now given not to one person, but to 130 people, who then can choose to pass it on, and so on–when it’s convenient for the recommender, who must be online. It’s important for brand owners to anticipate the increasing momentum and power of recommendations when we add to social networking, the always convenient, always online, mobile device.
Vinette Social Influence Model
Vinette Social Influence Model

 

Until recently, the biggest thing holding back the power of social media was connectivity. The Achilles Heel, with regard to recommendations, was unfulfilled good intentions on the part of brand enthusiasts due to lack of connectivity at the moment of peak enjoyment.

Now, the challenge for brands is not to simply “go mobile” and exist on social networks, the challenge is to create a mobile experience with contextual content that is worthy of, and easy to share. Then it’s all about listening and genuinely engaging with the social media audience.

 

 

blog

Top Online Activities of Wine Consumers

Posted on August 9, 2011 at 2:59 pm by angela robar with Leave a Comment
Consumers search for information about specific wines online

Learning about wine

According to the Wine Market Council’s 2010 Consumer Tracking Study, 20% of the US adult population drink wine one or more times per week and account for 91% of wine by volume. There are approximately 219M US adults aged 21+ so we’re talking about 44M people drinking almost all of the wine that is consumed.

The Council’s report includes great information about the types of activities these wine consumers report doing online, as well as the information that they seek about wine. Here is what folks are looking for in order of priority:

  1. Information about various types of wine (64%)
  2. Information about specific wines (55%)
  3. Pricing (49%)
  4. Information about wineries (47%)
  5. Information about wine regions (34%)
  6. Critics’ ratings (31%)
  7. Retail stores that carry wine (31%).

What does this mean for your brand? Think about the consumer experience and prioritize the information you provide based on what they look for most. Lead with information about your specific wines and include details about the varietals and style. Then layer in information about your winery and follow with the wine regions, ratings, and where to buy.

Providing the right information at the right time creates positive associations for your brand; this is important for differentiating your wines and standing apart from the competition. In addition, wine consumers are actively using social media for wine; arming them with accurate, valuable content will help them spread the word.

The study has great information on trends in generational wine drinking habits as well as online buying trends and many other insights. See the slides here.

blog